Leading Up to You
by Olive Tree Hugger
Summary: Called on to save the North Pole, Katara realizes things are better said than done. When the Blue Spirit arrives, she's relieved. But with the civil unrest and the chief gone mad, it's easy to lose track of each other. Then Katara receives the worst news: the Blue Spirit is dead. Zutara Week 2015 prompts!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! It's finally Zutara Week! ( _cue church choir singing!)_ I tried to participate last year but I wasn't able to because of school, when in fact I liked last year's prompts much better. They fit my aesthetic more. As it is, these prompts make for a good multi-chapter story. I won't be able to post this at all until maybe Saturday next week (it's Monday) because there's no internet at my grandmother's house.**

 **And as always, I'll let you know what I'm listening to: "Crush" by Paramore (an oldie, but goodie!). I've always loved that song and the mood it put me in. Plus, I think it's a good Zutara song!**

 **Zutara Week 2015**

 **July 20-26**

 **Day 1: Happenstance**

* * *

"Uncle, is this really necessary?"

"Do not question if it is necessary, nephew; question your insistence that it is not."

"Ugh."

The former general and uncle to the monarch lifted the kettle off its flaming perch and opened its lid, taking a deep whiff of the tea.

He sighed, "What a magnificent brew! Jasmine tea truly is a treasure to have in such conditions."

"We're going to the North Pole, Uncle. They have dried jasmine there," Zuko responded, having heard this more than once.

The older man clicked his tongue, "Then you do not appreciate the delicate taste of fresh jasmine as your dearest uncle does."

Zuko reached up to undo his topknot and placed his headpiece in his lap. Relieved, the twenty-two year old Fire Lord raked his fingers through his ink black hair, which now reached his shoulders.

 _I need a haircut_ , he thought to himself. The young king did not like to wear his hair long—long hair reminded Zuko of certain royal tyrants he wished not to be reminded of.

With royals in mind, Zuko turned to his uncle and asked, "Why exactly are we going again? I thought Chief Arnuk didn't like me."

"Indeed," Iroh replied, stroking his gray beard, which was turning whiter and longer as the years passed.

The Northern chief had a severe, burning distrust for Zuko and the entire Fire Nation ever since he lost his daughter in the seige several years ago. Even with treaties in place and Zuko vowing to right his father's wrongs, nothing could bring back Princess Yue.

With another sip of tea, the retired general explained, "It is just another social call, Lord Zuko. You will come out in one piece, as always."

Something told Zuko that he wasn't getting the whole story, but he didn't press it any further. Mostly because the night air blowing over the deck had become much colder and he wanted to save his body heat for when they arrived at the icy chiefdom. With a quiet "good night" to his uncle, the monarch descended below deck.

The tribe had been a ghost town when the royal vessel docked on its shores. Zuko and Iroh pulled their cloaks tighter around themselves, shivering.

They were met by the tribes' officials, who were all dressed in heavy blue furs and had their faces buried in scarves made of arctic hares. Zuko noted the absence of the Chief.

"The Northern Water Tribe thanks you for coming," one of them stated. "We are in dire need of your service."

Zuko raised his eyebrows in surprise at the pleading tone in the man's voice. The Water Tribes were proud people; they weren't the kind to ask for help. Whatever service they needed, it must've been for something serious.

Nodding, the Fire Lord responded, "Of course. Lead the way."

They made their way past the large igloos and palaces and spiky ice walls. Zuko observed the chiefdom with curiosity and surprise. The Northern Water Tribe had certainly….well, _changed,_ since he was last here.

The glaciers that formed their protective walls were taller, encasing the chiefdom in a cage of snow and ice. Their canals were now frozen completely and the magnificent ice structures that lined them were malformed, like spiked thorns twisting around abandoned, hallow castles.

A single blue and purple flag bearing the Water Tribe insignia hung solemnly from the building passing by. The slightest breeze blew by, caressing the flag so gently that Zuko shivered just from looking at it. He could almost _hear_ it—like a whisper.

Finally, they reached a clearing away from the outer gates of the city. In the vast, snowy expanse, a single igloo about as wide as a canoe and tall as a sky bison sat in the center. A plume of smoke arose from the top.

 _Warmth_ , Zuko thought. He felt his inner fire waning, which was new considering he used to be able to feel his hands and feet in the Poles. He rubbed his biceps with his hands and sucked in an icy breath.

"I-i-s it c-colder here…or i-is it…j-ju-just me?" He managed to ask, trying to quiet his chattering teeth.

He felt Iroh nudge his ribs—his way of chiding him for his impolite comment.

One of the men shook his head. "No, you are right. It's become unbearable. That's why she called you here."

"She?"

The man did not answer. Instead, he guided the Fire Nation men into the igloo. A blast of heat hit their faces immediately, thawing their chilled bones immediately. Zuko closed his eyes in relief and sighed.

"It's about time," a voice said.

The Fire Lord's eyes shot open. He focused on the source of the voice, finding a tanned, slim woman dressed in fur tending to the fire. Her dark, thick locks framed her face in a style similar to that of a Fire Nation princess's topknot. He couldn't believe she still wore it like that.

Her face was once round and ruddy in her childhood, Zuko remembered; now it had the sharper features of womanhood. The light of the fire cast an orange glow upon her visage, something almost haunting.

Her crystal blue eyes bore into him—like those of an arctic wolf ready to pounce on her prey.

"Katara," Zuko said dumbly. He felt his knees buckle, but not because of the heat.

The woman stood, dropping the iron stick she was using. "General Iroh, it's a pleasure to see you. How's your health? Are your ankles still swollen?"

Zuko felt the ice cold edge in her voice as she snubbed him. It seeped into his bones and made him shudder.

If Iroh noticed the sudden tension, and he did, he did not address it. Instead, the older man bowed and returned the greeting, "The pleasure is all mine, Master Katara. My health has improved greatly since we last met, thanks to your brilliant advice. And the swelling has gone down quite a bit. How are you?"

With a smile, the water bender replied, "I'm fine, General. Thank you for asking."

Suddenly, her eyes locked onto Zuko's and he froze. "Hello, Lord Zuko," she said. The tenderness he used to hear when she said his name was no longer there.

Swallowing hard, the fire bender managed to reply, "Hello, Master Katara."

The men who brought them there stepped forward and bowed respectfully to their tribeswoman. "Master Katara believes you can help us," one of them said.

Crossing his arms over her chest, the Fire Lord muttered, "How flattering."

Iroh nudged him again and said, "Why don't we discuss this over some tea?"

"Of course," Katara replied. "Tea sounds great right now."

After boiling and brewing the tea, Iroh poured a small cup for each of them and gestured for them to sit.

The master healer began, "I was called here months ago at the request of Chief Arnuk. A pneumonia epidemic was passing through and people were dying. I did everything I could, of course. Thankfully, with several other healers, we were able to save many lives. Kahn was one of them."

One of the men, the tallest and darkest of them, nodded. "I owe Master Katara my life," he said, eyes glinting. Katara smiled and leaned over to squeeze his large hand.

Zuko resisted the urge to bite his own tongue off.

Katara glanced at the three Northern men and craned her neck towards the mouth of the igloo. "Iqniq, Kahn, Palo—each of you take a lantern and go home. You need to rest."

"Bless your heart, Master Katara," Kahn said, bowing. "We will come see you in the morning."

The three of them wrapped themselves in extra fur and lit their own lanterns before turning to leave. Katara called after them, "Don't let the guards see you carrying those! Yue be with you!"

She stood at the mouth of the igloo and watched them go. When she was sure they were gone she turned back to the Fire Nation men and suddenly the room was much, much colder.

"Chief Arnuk asked me if the illness was brought on by spirits—he became very superstitious and paranoid since the siege six years ago," the water bender continued, taking her pace before the fire. "I told him I wasn't sure and that he should ask the Avatar."

Zuko pondered aloud, "Isn't Aang in the Earth Kingdom?"

Katara actively ignored him, "Without a proper reading by the Avatar, Arnuk decided that his daughter was haunting the tribe. He built her another shrine in the palace, and started forcing his advisors and officials to worship her with him."

"Arnuk heard that some of the tribesmen and women weren't worshipping and forcibly dragged them to the palace to worship with him. He went mad with paranoia and rage. Now he's locked himself in his chambers—he even taxed fire."

Iroh nearly choked on his tea. "Chief Arnuk taxed _fire_?"

Katara replied somberly. "Well, he's heavily taxed anything that make fire: coal, wood, spark rocks. I told you, he's consumed with rage and pain. Now several people are freezing to death all over the tribe. I've tried speaking to him but he refuses to listen. That's why you're here."

Scoffing, the Fire Lord responded, "If he isn't going to listen to his own tribeswoman why would he listen to me?"

"I'm not asking you to _talk_ to him," the water bender snapped.

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "You're asking me to take him out?"

Katara sighed, "No! If he died there tribe would be in chaos and we would need to choose a new chief right away. We don't have time for that. What we need is to convince him."

Something dark twisted in the Fire Lord's gut as Katara looked him deep in his eyes. They were blazing sapphire—the eyes of a warrior.

She uttered, "We need the Blue Spirit."

Iroh started to cough, pounding his fist over his sternum. "Wh-what of the Blue Spirit?" He asked, trying to clear his throat.

"Katara, you're upsetting Uncle," Zuko scolded, slapping the older man's back.

The water bender blushed slightly, flicking her wrist in Iroh's direction. A small stream of swallowed tea shot out of his mouth and landed on the ground.

"I'm sorry, General," she said. "May I steal your nephew for a moment?"

Iroh nodded before gulping the rest of his cup down. Hurriedly, Katara grasped Zuko by his elbow and tugged him outside.

It was snowing softly outside. The Fire Lord wretched himself away from her as the cold stung his face with renewed vigor. "What's wrong with you?" He asked.

Katara said, "Zuko... Arnuk won't listen to humans anymore. If he saw the Blue Spirit, I swear he could change!"

"It won't work," he retorted. "And besides, the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation have a treaty in place. I'm not jeopardizing the safety of my country—not even for you."

As lightless as it was outside, Zuko could clearly see the way his words affected her. Her entire face seemed to sink. She was like the night without the moon. Immediately, he regretted what he'd said, but Katara composed herself quickly.

"You're right," she stated coolly. "You have a country to care for. I'm only looking after myself."

"Katara, I swear that's not what I meant—"

The water bender was like a rope ready to snap. She gritted her teeth and rebuked, "No, you said what you wanted to say." She sighed heavily. "It was a mistake asking you to come."

Zuko tried to ignore the knife burying itself in his stomach. "Uncle responded to the letter."

He didn't know why he said that. He really shouldn't have. Now it just sounded like he wouldn't have come even if he _did_ know when he would've done flips just knowing she still wanted to speak to him after everything that happened.

Katara stared blankly at him. "I see," she murmured. She reached into the pocket of her parka and pulled out a piece of paper, folded neatly, carefully. The official seal of the Fire Lord held it together. "I should've known. The wording was too poetic for it to be yours."

Quietly, she let her eyes roam over the paper, lifted it up to her nose for a moment, and then handed it over to him.

The Fire Lord was confused by the action, but he took the paper from her and watched as she ducked back inside the igloo.

Left alone in the snow, Zuko mimicked her; he lifted the letter up to his nose and caught the scent of musk, the kind he used. It was smoky and heavy, infused with the smell of charred cinnamon. He pulled it away from his face and unfolded it haphazardly, ripping through his own seal as he did it.

He scanned the paper, reading,

 _"Dear Katara,_

 _I'm overjoyed to hear from you again. Last time we spoke, it was not on the best terms but I firmly believe we could be friends once more. At least, I hope so. I'd hate for us to part that way again._

 _As for the North Pole, I am restlessly awaiting the ship as I write. I will do whatever it takes to mend the tribe's problems, I promise you. I feel guilt whenever I think of what the Fire Nation did to the Water Tribes. It haunts me every day. Oh, how I wish I could undo the past!_

 _My valet has just informed me that the ship is here. I will send off the letter and board the ship with my Uncle immediately._

 _I eagerly await you, Katara._

 _Sincerely yours,_

 _Fire Lord Zuko"_

Tracing a finger over the signature, Zuko cursed. Iroh did a better job of writing his name than he did! No wonder Katara believe the letter came from the monarch.

His stomach churned as he thought of how restless and excited Katara must've been to see him again, only to have him blunder and nag and glare at her.

No wonder she still hated him.

Sucking in a cold breath, Zuko made his way inside. He found Katara and Iroh sitting next to each other, speaking in low voices.

As soon as they saw him, the two quieted.

Zuko narrowed his eyes and growled, "Why stop talking? It's not like you cared about my feelings anyway!"

The retired general stood and chided him. "Nephew! Master Katara invited us for tea and a place to sleep tonight. The proper thing to do would be to thank her!"

Oh, the Fire Lord wanted to shout. He wanted to tell Uncle he had no right to forge a letter promising to right a huge wrong—that and put Arnuk back in his right mind. He wanted to tell Katara that even though he had so much to lose by doing this he would do it times a hundred just to salvage their relationship.

But like many times before, Zuko kept his mouth shut. He hung his head low, bowed, and muttered, "Thank you."

When they got ready for bed, Zuko placed his furs furthest away from the others and lay there somberly. He wasn't even tired. He knew he would not sleep tonight. Not with the thoughts raging inside his mind like a turbulent thunderstorm.

"Good night, Master Katara," Iroh called, rubbing his belly.

Katara responded pleasantly from her place near the fire, "Good night, General Iroh. Sleep well."

Zuko waited for her to address him, and wasn't surprised to find silence. He lay on his side and watched the fire, now dimly glowing from the coals like a hidden sun inside the hearth.

He heard something stir and suddenly, Iroh was snoring. Katara lay on her other side, facing the wall rather than Zuko.

Laying there for what felt like hours, listening to the leisurely snow drift turn into a raging snowstorm, the Fire Lord came to a realization. No, a decision. He stood slowly, brushing himself off as he stepped gingerly over the two sleeping bodies.

He took the iron stick Katara used to tend to the fire and pulled his hood over his head before stepping into the moonless, snowy night.

* * *

 **Author's Note: That's right, guys. This is a Blue!tara fic. I always did love the way Zuko's body looked in those black tights. So don't worry, Zuko might be in heavy furs and not wearing a mask, but we'll fix that soon.**

 **One more thing: I've compiled a Zutara playlist if you ever wanna feel _things._**

 **1: Crush by Paramore/ 2: Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift/ 3: Don't Be Gone Too Long by Chris Brown ft. Ariana Grande/ 4: Out of Mind by Tove Lo/ 5: The Words by Christina Perri/ 6: Compass by Zella Day/ 7: Seasons by Olly Murs/ 8: Up by Olly Murs ft. Demi Lovato/ 9: Lego House by Ed Sheeran/ 10: Never Let Me Go by Florence and the Machine/ 11: Sinners by Lauren Aquilina/ 12: Stay by Rihanna/ 13: River by Emeli Sande/ 14: Maps by Maroon 5/ 15: Te Amo Y Mas by Diego Luna/**

 **They aren't in any particular order, so you can listen to them in any way you want. I just want you to listen them so I won't be the only one crying by the end of the week** **J**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: ***I am so sorry about the lateness! I was supposed to post everything soon after the first chapter but the internet acted up and now our electricity is (not exaggerating) turning off every ten to twenty minutes. It's a nightmare and the West Bank is at 33 degrees celsius (91 F). Without electricity we are melting. So I apologize for my tardiness. On to your regularly scheduled programming:**

 *****Day 2 is here! Woo! I'm listening to "Maps" by Maroon 5, and it _really_ shaped this chapter. A lot. That means either Zuko or Katara is going to be looking for the other and something *singsong voice* is going to _happennnnn._**

* * *

 **Zutara Week 2015**

 **July 20-26**

 **Day 2: Vigil**

Katara heard the determined footsteps of the fire bender leave the igloo and thought to herself, " _What is that fool doing?"_

She contemplated going after him—there was a storm out, after all. He could very well die out there. But then again, why not let him suffer the way he made her suffer all alone in this blistering cold?

His response should have tipped her off. She knew Zuko, after all. He wasn't the type to write with such poetic diction. Zuko wrote the way he spoke, rigid with awkward hiccups and pauses. Katara had just been stupid. She believed it all because she wanted to. But it was more than obvious that Zuko wanted no part of this, or any part of her, for that matter.

A low hiss sounded and the igloo went completely dark. Katara shifted onto her elbows and felt around her, surprised to feel a sheet of ice coating her furs, the ground, and the coals. She cursed herself.

The water bender decided she would not be able to sleep like this and stood, brushing the ice off like dust. She relit the fire and a lantern for herself before leaving the igloo.

Harsh wind slapped her cheeks the moment she found herself outside. Katara shuddered and pulled the parka tighter.

She lifted the lantern against the snow and looked for footprints. The icy, white beauty of fresh fallen snow was marred by shallow shapes that resembled boot prints. Katara cursed herself for not getting up to look for him earlier. She could've lost all trace of him if she lay there any longer.

 _No harm, no foul,_ she reminded herself, as she set off in the path left by the elusive fire bender.

Her toes were all but turning purple by the time she got to a small tavern south of the tribe's borders. The footsteps stopped just at the door. The lights were on inside and the sound of men's voices overlapping was muffled and gruff. She pressed one hand against the wall, and smirked when her fingers came back warm.

 _Gotcha_ , she thought.

The water bender pushed through the door and found the tavern full of brightly glowing candles and lanterns in every corner. It casted a shadow against the patrons' faces, each of them middle aged, dark-skinned men with scraggly facial hair. They glowered at the woman as if she'd just stumbled upon a secret meeting. They had fire after all, and they had to get it from somewhere.

Katara pretended she didn't see them and turned her attention to searching for Zuko. She crossed the slate ground several times, holding her light up to several faces and asking, "Have you seen a man with a scar on his eye?"

Finally, one man with a leather fishing hat tipped over his face said, "Yeah, I seen someone with a scar on 'is eye."

Sighing in relief, the water bender said, "Oh, thank Yue. Did you see where he went?"

The man downed his glass of liquor and smirked, teeth yellow and chipped. He lifted the hat to reveal a just an angry red cut splitting his eyebrow and running straight down his silvery right eye.

Katara swallowed her gasp and uttered, "I'm sorry…you're not the one I was looking for."

"I _can_ be," he replied, hand suddenly creeping up her hip.

Suddenly, his hand felt a hundred times heavier and it fell to the ground, dragging him with it. He looked up and found his whole hand, from fingertips to wrist, encased in ice and frozen to the floor.

He glared up at the brunette and growled, "Ya little bi—"

Katara froze his mouth shut using his own saliva. She pointed at him and said, "If you don't want to end up like him, I suggest you tell me the truth. Did _any_ of you see a man with a scar over his left eye?"

The man serving drinks spoke up, "One guy came in, had a stick in his hand and a real ugly shiner on the left side of his face. He asked me if I had any swords, spark rocks, leather, or masks. I had some of each, but I told him he had to pay for it. He handed me a couple of gold coins and went out the window. Real weird guy."

 _That's Zuko alright,_ Katara thought.

The storm was all but gone by the time she left the tavern. The water bender gasped when she saw the clean snow coating the ground—completely obscuring the footprints she left. How would she find Zuko? How would she find her igloo in this moonless night?

Swallowing her panic, Katara cupped her hand around the lantern to preserve her lighting and went around the tavern. She followed the server's advice, and continued on the path she figured Zuko would have taken.

As she walked, the master water bender wondered why she was doing this. After all, Zuko was skilled and able bodied. He didn't need her. She kept sticking her nose in his business, worrying about him…Sokka was right, she mothered too much.

"Hey, you!"

Katara knew who it was without turning around. Arnuk had guards posted everywhere, especially after a storm hit. That was when people got desperate for warmth and lit fires regardless of who was around.

She whipped a few icicles behind her to buy her some time before taking off in a flurry of snow, gliding across the slippery ground like a blizzard. One of them went after her, catching her ankle in a tentacle of water. He yanked her back and squeezed his arms around her.

"Hey!" Katara exclaimed, wriggling.

With a harsh punch to his groin, she ducked out of his clutches and summoned a giant wave of snow to smother the guards before she took off running.

When she was finally far enough, Katara slowed to a stop and panted. It had been a long time since she had to fight the authorities. These days, people usually fell over themselves trying to kiss her feet wherever she went.

She was Master Katara, after all, the one and only water bender in the South Pole, and the first female champion of the North Pole. She was Katara, daughter of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. She was Best-Healer-In-the-World Katara, who brought back the Avatar from the brink of death, and saved Fire Lord Zuko from an almost fatal battle wound.

She was the passionate Katara, who inspired the people of Jang Hui to fend off the industrial colonizers and clean up their rivers. She was powerful and fearsome warrior Katara, who defeated many a foe at the tender age of fifteen—slicing into the Water Tribes' patriarchy, crashing through the walls of the Dai Lee, and dethroning the chaotic and terrifyingly dangerous Princess Azula.

Yet, the water bender disliked being put on a pedestal. She was a person, just like anyone else. That was how she liked to be treated. There were some who questioned her motives, rude or jealous people who thought she only wanted to help others to get something in return. But that wasn't who she was. Why else would she bend over backwards trying to do the right thing?

Just then, a harsh wind blew against her and put out her lantern. Katara cursed under her breath and glanced behind her. She'd already gone too far to turn back now. She would have to find somewhere to sleep until the sun rose.

A cave neared her line of vision and she rushed to it. It was oddly warm inside when Katara stumbled in. She pressed her hand into the rocky, rough inner walls and sighed as heat seeped into her skin. That meant only one thing—someone had been here.

Katara felt her way into the cave, hoping she wouldn't stumble upon a crazed murderer and his hungry pet polar bear dog. She kept moving until she saw a very dim, reddish orange light emanating from the base of the cave.

 _Fire!_ She thought, carefully making her way closer.

The source of the fire turned out to be a bed of spark rocks and coal, simmering softly in their last stage. Katara spotted the iron stick idly tossed to the side and a discarded red and black parka folded up neatly beside it.

The realization dawning on her, Katara called out, "Zuko?"

His name echoed back to her, but she didn't hear a response. She called once more, "Zuko, it's me! It's Katara!"

There was no reply. Katara realized he must have left. Why he left the parka behind, she didn't know, but she only hoped he was keeping warm wherever he went.

Suddenly, the fatigue of staying up all night in the freezing cold hit Katara like a ton of bricks. She dropped to her knees beside the fire and lay on her side with a grunt. She reached over and draped Zuko's parka over herself.

It had the same smoky scent left on the letter, but it was stronger, because it had been on him. She held it up to her nose and breathed it in several times. With each inhalation, she grew warmer, sleepier.

Within seconds, Katara was asleep.

A few hours later, a figure appeared at the mouth of the cave. It was slim and dressed head to toe in black. Crisscrossing his chest were two leather straps that housed a pair of straight-edge swords.

The figure brought up one hand and touched the blue and white mask, resembling a monstrous demon from ancient folklore. He watched the sleeping woman for a few moments, as if waiting for her to stir to make sure she was breathing.

He saw how she was curled up in the red and black parka, sleeping soundly as though put under a spell.

Carefully, he made his way towards her and kneeled. He pulled the mask off, leaned forward, and pressed the gentlest kiss to the water bender's temple. Katara's mouth turned up in the tiniest smile. He lingered there for a few moments, watching her sleep before turning and disappearing back into the night.

* * *

The sunrise saw several uniformed soldiers march into the cave and surround the water bender. Katara could sense something was wrong and cracked her eyes open.

"Master Katara, you are under arrest for supplying fire to the tribe—this is listed as an act of treason to Chief Arnuk's law—"

Before they knew it, the soldiers were frozen to their throats in ice.

Katara fled the cave, heart beating wildly. She debated going back to the igloo, because Iroh was back there.

And….Zuko.

She halted suddenly, the flurry she created completely dissipating into the air. Blue eyes watching the orange and purple horizon, Katara tried to place the Fire Lord. She knew for a fact he had been in that cave at some point, and something told her he would be back for his parka.

In fact, something told her he had been there with her. It had become very warm during the night, like the very essence of fire had entered that cave. He knew she was there.

No, she had to go back.

Katara spun around and started for the cave. That's when the ice under her feet began to crack. On top of that, the soldiers she'd frozen managed to free themselves and followed her out, surrounding her again.

 _They're so fast_ , she thought to herself.

She stood there, feet steady on the ground, which was unsteady itself. Her arms were out, ready to attack.

The soldiers had their eyes on the ice, knowing that any move could mean a watery grave for them all.

"Don't move," one of them warned. "We were instructed to take you alive."

Katara rolled her eyes, "How thoughtful."

Suddenly, a rumbling sound rippled through the water and shook the ice under the water benders' feet. Katara stumbled a bit as the tundra parted, revealing the ocean around them. The soldiers too were cast off on small islands of ice.

Smirking, the brunette took this as an opportunity to get away and started water bending herself further away from them.

That's when the sound went off again, this time louder, and directly underneath Katara's feet.

One of the soldiers screamed, pointing a brown finger at the water. The soldiers and Katara all looked down and found a massive shadow growing larger. It was at least twenty feet long and whale-like, curling and twisting and waiting for them to fall in the water.

Katara's heart nearly stopped.

Slowly, she bent ice bridges between the islands that separated her and the soldiers and connected them to the mainland.

"Cross the bridge!" She called to them.

They didn't need to be told twice; the lot of them took turns inching towards safety. Katara watched them with wild and worried eyes. Any sudden moves and the beast could snap its jaws round the bridge and anyone crossing it.

It felt like a century went by, but in reality, it didn't take twenty minutes for the soldiers to reach the mainland. It was Katara's turn.

The master water bender was shaking as she moved. She tiptoed her way across the ice, frequently eyeing the water to see where the beast went. Even though it was freezing, sweat dripped from her brow.

"Try to keep your arms spread!" One of the soldiers yelled.

"Don't go too fast!" Another added.

Katara gritted her teeth. This wasn't the first time she'd crossed an ice bridge, and she was determined that this wouldn't be her last.

She looked up to glare at them when something black caught her attention. Squinting, Katara focused on the figure.

Behind the soldiers, hiding in plain sight, was the Blue Spirit.

Gasping, Katara shuffled her feet faster and faster, trying to get closer to the mysterious entity. Could it really be him? Was she as delusional as Zuko made her out to be?

Abruptly, the beast let out a deep and deafening roar as it breached the water.

The blow shattered the ice into tiny fragments, leaving Katara desperately clawing for something to hold onto, her head barely above the water.

While the soldiers panicked, the Blue Spirit took off, ricocheting off the ice, gaining momentum with every move.

Katara was trying to do two things at once: trying to stay afloat and trying to ward off the beast. It seemed the latter was easier than the former, because even as she sunk, the brunette could still wave an army of icicles towards the maritime monster like missiles.

The Blue Spirit threw himself at the beast as it leapt into the air, his swords drawn and ready to deliver a killing blow, but the beast's tail got to him first.

It flicked him away like a mosquito. He flew back several feet, before crashing into the snow with a harsh thud. If there hadn't been any snow, his neck would have been broken.

Katara's cheeks turned a bright red as she held her breath under water. She tried to catch sight of the beast, keeping her eyes wide open. The ocean was cold, blue, and mysteriously still.

Something brushed her leg.

The water bender sent a sharp blow downwards, hoping to hit the aquatic monster. She saw something dip deeper into the blue before snapping back up. Suddenly, Katara was staring into the jaws of the beast.

Rows upon rows of glittering teeth, leading into a black void, with a serpentine tongue shooting up to snatch her ankle.

Calling on the power of the ocean, Katara spun around rapidly. Soon, a spiral began to form around her, spinning, spinning, until she was propelled into the air. The water spout brought her up high, dozens of feet in the air.

With her heart racing, the water bender bent the ocean around her, trapping the beast in a bubble fit for a family of sky bison. She raised her arms, along with the beast, and began to freeze it from the inside out—at least it wouldn't be able to hurt someone this way.

The beast thrashed violently as the water became slushy, then icy, until it stopped moving altogether. Katara stopped moving her fingers momentarily, suspending the bubbled creature in the air. She stared at it for a moment, studying its flashy black scales and the curious white diamond-shaped mark on the crown of its head. Its eyes were shut, as if it were sleeping.

Katara drifted down into the water gently. She left the icy bubble to sink into the oceanic depths, before water bending her way towards the mainland.

The Blue Spirit crossed his swords and slid them back into their straps. He stood there almost confidently, pride emanating from his stance.

The soldiers watched Katara in shock, seemingly afraid to even approach her.

"It's over," the master water bender said.

Something crashed through the water, spraying Katara's back anew with bitter cold water. She looked up just in time to see the same cavernous jaws plunging over her.

Before she could react, something hit her hard in the gut and sent her flying. Katara skidded towards the shore, nearly falling into the ocean if she hadn't dug her fingers into the ground. Disoriented, she blinked a few times and lifted her head.

That's when she saw the beast's jaws snap closed around the Blue Spirit, swallowing him whole. The soldiers stabbed their fingers into their ears as Katara let out an earth-shattering wail.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry, again for my tardiness. This power outage is getting ridiculous. Every few minutes, we lose all electricity. I hate it.**

 **Zutara Week 2015**

 **July 20-26**

 **Day 3: Clandestine**

Two soldiers flanked Katara, each clenching a firm hand over her arms. A pair of iron chains encircled her wrists to keep her from attacking, but attacking was the farthest thing from the master water bender's mind. She just kept replaying the image of the beast swallowing him up…

Tears stung her eyes, but she didn't make a sound. She just kept her head down as the soldiers marched her into the palace. It was colder than the rest of the tribe, like a contained blizzard was raging inside. The throne room was the worst—crystallized spikes jutted out from every direction. Even his throne had become a seat of icicles.

"Chief, we've got her," one of them said. "We got her alive, just like you asked."

Subtly, the brunette lifted her gaze just to see the chief's back turned, facing a miniature waterfall constructed behind his throne. He had his arms crossed and head ducked, as if deep in thought.

"Chief, sir?" The soldier continued, letting go of Katara and stepping forward.

One hand slowly came up, as if to silence all speech. Chief Arnuk craned his neck just slightly towards them and asked in a low voice, "Did I not make myself clear?"

Confused, the two soldiers exchanged glances and looked back up at their leader. "Sir?"

Arnuk spun around wildly, screeching, **_"I said not to disturb me!"_**

The soldiers flinched, immediately releasing their captive to kneel on the ground, begging for mercy.

Katara watched the elder chief as he reputed his subordinates. There were dark, sagging bags under his eyes from weeks without sleep. His hair was now completely gray from the pressure he put on himself. His face was gaunt, his body lost inside his oversized parka. The man had become a shell. Whatever life he had in him was lost with Yue's.

"Leave us at once," the chief growled.

They immediately scrambled out of the room, as if terrified that Arnuk would impale them with icicles if they didn't get out fast enough.

Arnuk glared coldly at Katara and said, "I've been looking for you, Master Katara."

The water bender kept her eyes focused on him, not caring if he saw how bloodshot they were. "So I've heard," she replied.

"You know my rules, Katara. You deliberately disobeyed them. Why is that?" He retorted.

Katara furrowed her eyebrows, "People were dying. _Children_ were dying."

"And so what?!" He shouted suddenly, causing the brunette to flinch. "They were weak! They were thoughtless and pig-headed and disrespectful. If they had only given so much as an inkling of trust towards the Moon they never would have felt the cold, let alone died from it! Instead they chose to trust in fire."

Arnuk shook his head, sighing. "Fire….fire is destructive. It's inherently evil." He lay a hand on his throne and grasped on icicle. "It sees one ray of hope and goodness in this world… and it destroys it."

He broke off the icicle and crushed it in his bare fist.

The master water bender listened to him speak in utter horror. Arnuk's mind was long gone—he was far too invested in the past, far too invested in revenge and death. She was a fool to think the Blue Spirit could work on him.

"You knew all of this, Katara, and you still brought those Fire Nation pigs to my door. You were going to usurp me and let that son of a murderer rule my chiefdom. You probably thought he would let you rule by his side, as his Fire Queen, or whatever nonsensical term they use."

Katara narrowed her eyes at him. He wouldn't. Not now. Not after what happened. He wouldn't _dare._

"He was just like the rest of them," Arnuk continued, seeing the rage in Katara's eyes and using it to fuel his speech. "He would've burned the tribe to the ground. He would have killed you in front of your father and brother."

Katara clenched her fists, feeling ice cold hate building in her gut. The chains on her wrists started to rust. The way he used the word "was"—it couldn't be. Would Arnuk really break a peace treaty?

The chief in question turned his head to smirk at her. He finished her off, saying, "You both underestimated the power of the ocean."

Something exploded inside Katara, something so powerful and violent that she couldn't hold in the scream that tore itself from her lungs.

She lunged, snapping the chains clean off before taking hold of the water falling behind Arnuk. She summoned it like a wave and let it crash down on him, praying that it would drown him.

Arnuk slid out of the way on a path of ice, racing across the walls and shooting balls of ice at Katara. The master water bender deflected them with ease before whisking another spray of water at him, this time intended to split his skull in half.

And it almost did. Arnuk was moving right into the water, right into her trap, but then he stumbled. He slipped onto his knees and narrowly missed Katara's next haphazard attack. She raged against him, whipping blow after blow mercilessly, completely decimating the throne room.

Katara shrieked, enraged that she couldn't land a hit. After everything he did, after what he said….he _knew_ what happened. That beast wasn't an ordinary aquatic creature…the way it broke free if the ice even though Katara was sure she secured it….it must've water bent, for Yue's sake…it…it was in the ocean…it _was_ the ocean.

 _La_ , the water bender swore.

Abruptly, several soldiers and guards spilled into the room with their water skins out and icicles at the ready.

"Drop the water immediately!" They ordered.

Katara panted hard, before heaving an ice wall into them with a harsh grunt. Whether she crushed someone or not, she couldn't tell, she was seeing red everywhere.

Something cold and wet curled around her wrist, snaking up to her shoulders and trapping her. She blinked and found one of the soldiers dragging her to him by her right arm using a water tentacle. Katara yanked her free arm back and twisted her hand, beckoning more water to encircle her arm. Now she also had a water tentacle.

She thrashed it at the soldier chaotically until he broke his hold on her. That boosted the brunette's confidence enough to create bigger tentacles, flogging anyone who got close to her.

Eventually, Arnuk shouted, "Enough!"

At first, Katara didn't listen. She lashed and fought and roared, refusing to go down. But then something hit her hard in the back of her head, something sharp and blunt. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. More tentacles shot at her, binding her arms, legs, and waist.

She saw black spots across her blurry vision. It was hard to focus on Arnuk as he approached her, but she knew it was him from the sound of his voice.

"I always knew there was a reason we never contacted our sister tribe. It's because you're all treacherous! Selling out your own kind for the likes of a Fire rat….it's despicable _._ "

Katara glared murderously at him, spitting, "You're _insane_."

A dark, inhuman chuckle suddenly overtook the man. "I'm so glad you noticed," he replied.

One of the soldiers spoke up, fear lacing his voice, "What do we do with her, sir?"

Craning his neck back, Arnuk droned, "Execute her, of course. Do it in the town square. Let the entire tribe come and watch. Let it be a warning for anyone who is thinking of betraying the Chief."

Katara's eyes widened. Her mind raced to the peace treaty, but remembered that the chief had already broken it once; he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

The soldiers began dragging her towards the door. "No!" She screamed, thrashing. "My father and the Avatar will avenge me! They will wage war on the North! Your walls will fall!"

It was utter nonsense; she was sure Aang would never resort to violence, even to avenge her life. And while her father might, the South was still much weaker than the North and with Arnuk somehow controlling the Ocean, there was no telling how much damage he could do.

But it seemed to work. Arnuk halted his subordinates and stared long and hard at the master water bender. "You're right…a public execution won't do. Throw her in the deepest and coldest dungeon we have and let her rot there. When she freezes to death, tell her family she succumbed to pneumonia. There, doesn't that sound better?"

Katara had to be hauled out of the throne room kicking and screaming, "Murderer! _Butcher!_ You've doomed your tribe! My father and the Avatar will hear about this! You'll pay!"

Arnuk massaged his forehead, muttering to a nearby guard, "For Yue's sake, please gag the little brat."

The night fell on the North Pole like a blanket of snow, all at once and smothering the tribe. The tiniest sliver of moonlight shined diaphanously like a pearl, glaring at a path of thick ice.

A hand brought itself up to the solid surface from the inside. Heat began to emanate from its fingers until the ice became red. As it melted, the hand slid out and into the night air, shivering from the blistering cold. Then, another hand came bursting through the ice like it was glass.

The two arms settled on the surface and pulled up. A figure dressed completely in black eventually climbed out of the water, breathing hard. He coughed multiple times until he vomited, but most of it was water.

His mask was hanging loosely around his neck, the strap torn to the last string. He ripped it off and slammed it into the ground beside him.

White puffs left his lips as he tried to steady his breathing and warm up again. But he was exhausted, more than that, he was completely drained. He gave in to the weariness and collapsed on his back, thinking of the moon.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey, guys. Sorry it's a short chapter, but it's so hot and gross and yucky that I can't write anymore. For now, we're done. Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Bringing day 4 to you while I descend into allergy and cold madness. I've taken 1,000 mg of Tylenol and 120 mg of Allegra so far. While I was in America I used to dope myself up on children's Dimetapp. I'm trying to survive. Pray for me….**Edit, I just swallowed 3 big tablespoons of children's Tylenol. Lmao I'm 20 years old. I've become desperate….****

 **Zutara Week 2015**

 **July 20-26**

 **Day 4: Rue**

* * *

"Ya hungry?"

Katara didn't look up. She kept her eyes locked on the ground as the guard slid open the door to the cell and slid a bowl towards her. He kept the door halfway closed, because even though she was a shivering, hungry mass, she still posed a threat.

 _He's a smart man_ , Katara thought.

After the guard slammed the door shut and threw away the key, the master water bender scrambled towards the bowl and scooped whatever was in it into her mouth. She didn't mind the taste or the smell. After four days of being locked up, the guards finally remembered she was human. The water bender was sure they were only feeding her to heed Arnuk's declaration: she would die of hypothermia, not starvation.

But Katara refused to die. She planned on making an escape soon enough, but she needed to wait until the full moon for it to be successful. Then, she would bend the chief's blood until the vessels in his eyeballs burst. She began fantasizing about forming a fist around his heart and squeezing the blood out of the muscle because he broke hers. He deserved that much, after everything he did.

Clenching and unclenching her fists, the brunette could feel the rush of anger shaking her very bones. The last time she felt this enraged was when she faced the man who killed her mother. It had taken over her like a raging tornado, demolishing everything in its path. There was so much pain inside of her and it was twisting her insides.

She hated Arnuk. She hated the tribe. She hated Yue, even, for starting this whole thing six years ago. Did she think of the consequences? Did she known what it would do to her father?

A chill suddenly ran down Katara's spine and she mentally kicked herself.

Her anger was blasphemous. Yue was the goddess of the moon, and the reason Katara could still water bend. The deceased princess's sacrifice was heroic and had nothing to do with her maniac of a father. If the master water bender had to hate anyone, she should hate herself.

Katara's problem was that she meddled. She tried to be a hero all the time, even when she had no right or power to do so. When she saw that she couldn't do anything herself, the brunette selfishly called in Zuko. As if he didn't have to deal with a million things at once. What was his business to come here to a country he had no sovereignty over? Katara was being greedy. She missed the Fire Lord. She ached for him. All she needed was a reason to see him again.

If only she'd been nicer to him when he arrived! Maybe he would have stayed in the igloo, with her. Maybe he'd still be alive.

Tears jerked at the brunette's eyes. La, had she been stupid.

Hunching in on herself, Katara began to sob. It wasn't the loud wail she let out when Zuko had been eaten and it wasn't the soft, reserved sniffling she succumbed to in the crystal catacombs of the Earth Kingdom. This was a broken, hoarse sob of a woman who couldn't recognize herself anymore.

She cried to herself for what seemed like forever. Her sobs must have echoed, because she heard a voice ask very faintly, "Master Katara, is that you?"

Katara stopped crying the moment she heard his voice. "Iroh?"

"Oh, thank Agni," the retired general breathed. "I was worried that you might have perished in the snow."

Gripping the bars to the cell door, Katara leaned forward. She tried to place the fire bender's voice, but she was too cold to focus.

"How did you get in here?" She asked him.

Iroh replied, "When I woke up two nights ago, and I couldn't find neither you nor my nephew, I went outside to look. In minutes I found myself swarmed by guards. They said I was trespassing. I willingly went with them, hoping to see you or Lord Zuko. I was right!"

Katara smiled at the sound of Iroh's voice; in the face of such a terrible predicament he was satisfied to have a found a friend.

"Have you seen my nephew by any chance?"

The water bender froze, and not because her cell was cold. Because she replayed the image of the creature's jaws snapping down on the man.

Swallowing hard, Katara responded, "General…..Zuko….passed away a few days ago. He was taken by a sea monster. It was all my fault…I put him in harm's way."

She was crying again, this time quietly. Iroh remained silent for a long time, which made Katara feel even worse. How could she say something like that to him, a man who's health had been a gamble for about four years now? Did she want to make him worse? She resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall.

"My nephew is not dead," the fire bender said firmly.

Katara shook her head, sniffling, "I saw him, general. He was eaten—"

"No, Zuko is not dead," Iroh claimed again, this time harder, more pronounced. "I have seen him overcome many things and this will be one of them. You do not know just how much he cares for you, Katara. He will do anything to repair his relationship with you, even if it means to defy death itself."

Shocked, the water bender sat back on her heels and thought about it. It dawned on her then that she was giving up too easily. It was she, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, who saved the North Pole from the deadliest pneumonia epidemic the nation had seen in decades. It was she who provided warmth and heat to people who were cold and suffering. All of this meant _something_.

Katara knelt to the ground, her head bowed in respect. She pressed her palms together with her fingers sticking straight up, towards the night sky. Plucking the words from her foggy childhood memory, the water bender whispered a prayer to the gods and goddesses listening. She prayed for the people of the Water Tribes, for the Fire Nation, and she prayed for health and freedom.

But most of all, she prayed for Zuko.

* * *

The door to the chief's private chambers creaked open. A sly, tall shadow stretched across the ceiling as it crept into the room. The water bender stirred restlessly in his bed, sitting up to meet his intruder.

"What are you doing here?" Arnuk's voice sounded fearfully.

The shadow came closer, two arms raised high. Suddenly, they were wielding dual dao swords. They were burning.

Arnuk shot up anxiously, the blankets pooling around his ankles as he scrambled to his feet. His fingers trembled, itching for the gravity-like pull of the water in the walls, but he couldn't feel a thing. They couldn't move. It was as if his bones were submerged in dry ice.

His voice was hoarse from the cold. "Guards! Help!" He screamed.

"They froze to death," the shadow spoke. His voice was deep and soft, but somehow it still made the walls shake. "No one can help you now."

Light illuminated the room from the fire and cast its own shadow over Arnuk's face. Fear and regret had overtaken his visage, and for the first time, his true colors were shown.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, the chief exclaimed, "You're not real! You're nothing! Nothing!"

The shadow advanced slowly, leaving Arnuk with his back against the wall. His vision had to be failing. It had to be. There was no way the shadow was splitting into three different shapes in front of him.

Now three tangible figures stood just feet away from him with their swords aflame. Arnuk could see the white fangs and the gruesome blue grimace on their faces. His heart sank into his stomach.

Knowing he was cornered, the chief whispered last prayer to the moon goddess. The figure in the middle scoffed and brought down his blade.

"Say hello to Princess Yue for me."

* * *

The sound of dripping awoke Katara from her nap. She picked her head up and blinked until her vision evened out. There was ice frozen to her cage door—a product of the water dripping onto it from above.

Confused, she crawled her way to it and gripped the bars. The slightest waft of heat brushed against her forehead.

"Iroh?"

"Good morning, Katara! Is there a way you can break these bars with ice? I'm having trouble melting my way out," the elder man greeted.

The water bender recalled her praying last night and quietly thanked the spirits. She looked to the left and then to the right to make sure there were no guards around, then splayed her fingers out in front of her.

Water seeped out of the cage's walls and splashed onto the bars. It immediately froze in place. Katara took a step back and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the ice, shattering it into pieces.

She took no time climbing the scaffold and swinging her legs up and over into Iroh's cell block.

"Where are the guards?" She asked as she immediately went to work on the bars.

"Gone," the older man replied. He took a step back as the water bender prepared to attack. "And so are the other prisoners. I heard them escaping a few hours ago. It would have been nice had they remembered us."

After kicking down the bars, Katara knelt down to help Iroh to his feet. She noted the blue tinge of his fingers, nose and lips. His skin was pale and ice cold.

The brunette put two fingers over one coronary artery in his throat, and frowned. The retired general's heart rate was irregular and slow. He would not be able to withstand this cold much longer.

Looking up, Katara tried to decipher a way out of the gaping, vast ice dungeon. There were no stairs she could see, as it was nearly pitch black besides a few dimly lit lanterns. She sighed and glanced at the retired general.

"Looks like we're climbing. Hop on," she said, leaning forward.

Iroh chuckled, "Master Katara, if I could still hop, there would be no need to carry me."

The water bender scaled the side of the dungeon using nothing but two ice claws. Iroh had his arms wrapped around her waist tightly. Two strips of fabric around his wrists kept him connected to her. If he ever got too tired to hold on, the fabric would do the work for him.

 _"Hnng_ , so all the prisoners, _hnn,_ escaped?" Katara grunted.

Nodding, the elder responded, "Yes. I recall hearing one say there was no chief to keep them imprisoned anymore."

"….What?!"

Iroh coughed suddenly. Katara listened to him painfully for a moment before he calmed down. "…It's true. Even the guards fled, saying they were going home to a warm fire place and some hot sake. I personally prefer tea myself."

The water bender climbed silently for the rest of the way, internally panicking. If the chief was dead, what kind of chaos would she find when she reached the surface? How many people could be in desperate need of her help now?

 _How did this even happen?_ She thought to herself. _Who killed the chief?_

When Iroh and Katara reached the surface, they immediately rushed to the palace. As they did, people surrounding them were looting shops and houses. Carriages were being hijacked. Mothers and their children ran from their houses as they burned to the ground. Corpses scattered the streets, their blood splattered and frozen to the ground.

It was madness.

A stab of guilt ran through Katara's heart as she witnessed all this. She was so desperate to bring fire back to the North Pole she didn't want to believe it could also be the very end of the tribe.

They were able to enter the palace without a hitch—after all, there were no guards to watch the entrance.

Katara lead the way into Chief Arnuk's private chambers. His door was wide open and people, commoners and nobles and soldiers, were coming in and out. Everyone was in a panic.

Someone must have spotted Katara because a voice shouted, "It's Master Katara! Make way!"

The people parted and allowed her passage. Black soot coated the walls and the floor. She made her way towards a lumpy sheet on the ground. The sight sent chills down her spine. Kahn was leaning over the body, looking forlorn.

"Let me see," the master water bender stated. Her heart was racing.

The burly man nodded and obediently pulled back the sheet. Katara knelt forward and studied the body. Burn marks covered the corpse. There were also slash marks across his throat, chest and shoulders. One gaping hole sat in his sternum, like he'd been stabbed.

Tears filled her eyes as Katara looked over the wounds again. It was such a gnarly, horrible way to die.

Kahn spoke somberly, "I found something you might want to see."

Shaking her head, the woman said, "I don't want to see anything else."

"Believe me," the older man responded. "You'll want to."

Seeing the urgency in his eyes, the water bender nodded. They covered the body together and hiked out of the room.

Kahn pulled her behind a curtain and put a hand on her shoulder. "There were no guards in the streets or at the door of the palace, so me and the guys went to investigate. When we got in, we found Arnuk on the floor, dead as a doorknob. There was a note on his chest."

"A note?" Katara echoed.

Reaching into his parka, the man pulled out a folded paper. The familiar charred smell immediately hit Katara's nose. Realization hit her like a ton of bricks, like something knocked the wind out of her.

Her chest felt heavy, the air in her lungs trapped, looking for a way out. Tears prickled her eyes and her skin burned hotter than white fire. A scream tore itself from her throat without warning.

The morning air seemed so still then. Everything stopped. Just for a moment, Katara could see each individual snowflake as they fell before her eyes.

He _was_ alive. He was _alive._

Kahn reached out to give the paper to her. "I remember when you received this, you wouldn't let anyone touch it. You kept pulling it out of your pocket to sniff it. I wanted to ask you why this guy meant so much to you."

Sapphire eyes overflowing with tears, Katara pressed the paper to her heart. It was scorched at the ends, and browned all over from the fire, but it was hers, regardless.

"He….he saved my life once," she murmured, swallowing a lump in her throat. "And I saved his. I thought we'd be together after that. But things got….complicated. The Avatar was in love with me and his childhood sweetheart was in love with him. We put our duties ahead of our feelings. That didn't stop us in the end. We had a secret romance…nothing dishonorable. But it was nice to have someone to call my own.

Then…it was announced that he was engaged to his sweetheart. I was a fool to think I could really be with him, publically and unapologetically. I questioned his love for me and we had a big fight. He kept swearing that he would put a stop to it, that he wouldn't go through with the wedding. Even though I wanted it so badly, I didn't want him to break the other woman's heart. I told him to go ahead with the ceremony. After I went home, he announced that he broke off the engagement."

Katara covered her mouth with a hand and cried softly. The other hand remained clenched around the paper as it pressed against her heart. "I can't believe he would do this to me…" She sobbed.

Two arms wrapped around her and held her tight. Katara looked up and saw a porcelain face and a magnificently red scar on the left eye staring down at her. Her eyes blurred with more tears at the sight. She brought a hand up to cup his cheek.

Suddenly, something ice cold pressed against her palm. Katara blinked a few times and saw Kahn kissing her hand, holding it against her face. He continued to press kisses down her wrist, pulling her sleeve up to kiss her forearm.

The water bender shoved him away with a scream. Her stomach churned as she turned to run.

"I'm sorry!" The man shouted, watching her disappear through the palace door.

* * *

 **Author's Note: So what do you think? Was that enough to make up for the last chapter? It's not excuse but I've been sick and the electricity won't stop cutting off. I promise, I'm finishing up the rest of the chapters as I speak. I'm listening to "Wildfire" by Tinashe. It's very relevant to Zutara ;)**

 **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Zutara Week 2015**

 **July 20-26**

 **Day 5: Voyage**

 **Author's Note: Today's not going well for me and I'm listening to "Mowgli's Road" by Marina and the Diamonds. It's not a Zutara song, but it's an angry song and I'm just pissed. I'll give you guys a playlist of the songs I listen to when I'm angry after the chapter is finished. **Edit: To the reviewers Guest and Mee-Mee, you guys just made my day. Thank you so much for your reviews! And to answer your question, Iroh became very ill a few years after ATLA in this fic. Congestive heart failure, to be precise. Hope that clears a few things up!****

* * *

The Blue Spirit crouched low behind the jagged rocks capped in snow, hands gloved in leather and shaking. His eyes were narrowed beneath his mask as he observed the happenings in the tribe.

Spilt blood met him wherever he went. Homes had been burnt to the ground in an effort to loot and steal whatever was in them, flags were trampled, children cried in the streets as they tried to wake their dead parents, and the authorities themselves became corrupt. The Blue Spirit was curious to find out what had caused such rebellion.

A group of soldiers, dressed head to toe in polar bear dog skins and tiger seal fangs, marched from the palace with their spears high and auras dark. Markings resembling the visage of a wolf panted each of their faces. They were bloodthirstily calling for vengeance in the name of their fallen chief. Names began flying and the Blue Spirit listened earnestly.

"Arnuk was burnt," one soldier, possibly their commander. "A week ago there were reports of a Fire Nation vessel docked in the harbor. The Fire Lord and his uncle were seen exiting the ship. They disappeared shortly after. My sources tell me there was Fire Nation paraphernalia found at the scene. Find the two Fire pigs and punish them for breaking our treaty."

"They didn't come here of their own accord," another one interjected.

Their leader raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" He asked, sounding unconvinced. "Then who brought them here?"

"One of us," the lowly soldier responded. "The only tribe member with a bias towards the Fire Nation: Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Rumor has it she had a fling with the Fire Lord."

Behind the gruesome mask, two fiery gold eyes widened.

He continued, "She purposely brought them here after she and Arnuk had an argument in the throne room."

Stroking his beard, the leader questioned, "And you were present during this argument?"

"Yes, sir. She threatened to involve other nations, to boot. A few days ago she was thrown in prison for treason, but she escaped with the other prisoners. I say we find Katara and lop her head off for orchestrating the crime, and cut off the Fire pigs' hands and feet and throw them in the ocean. Word on the street is there's a monster lurking in the water."

A smirk creased the leader's face. "I like that idea. Let's teach these traitors what the North is made of. Let's go, men!"

The Blue Spirit watched them go, a fire burning in his gut as he sped off after them. He had to find Katara and get her out of here immediately. He knew she wasn't responsible for the murder of the chief. She was one hundred percent against it, instead she wished to talk to him, scare him a little if it meant changing his views.

Had he done what she'd asked, none of this would have happened. He let his bitterness get in the way and now she was in mortal danger. She would be accused of treason and murder, before they executed her and sent her head to her father in the South.

The very thought of it left a sour taste in his mouth.

He kept himself hidden behind the shadows, leaping from roof to roof to attain a better view of the land. Despite people filling the streets and it being daylight, he couldn't spot the brunette anywhere.

Frustrated, he lowered himself to the ground and slipped into an alleyway. Leaning against the wall, he pulled off his mask and felt over his face, wincing.

Two purplish red bruises painted either side of his face. The rest of his body was worse; he was covered in bruises and welts and bite marks. He didn't remember anything that happened after he pushed Katara out of the way, but he knew for a fact the giant sea monster did something to him. It left him dizzy and hurting all over. He felt like he was being dragged down by something sopping wet wherever he went. He wasn't even sure how he survived.

But all that mattered was that he was alive. It was like a gift from the moon goddess, a message that he had to take action. He never did know Yue personally, but from what he heard she had been a brave, selfless and kind girl, even after death.

Closing his eyes, he offered a short prayer to her.

The sound of footsteps echoed inside the alley and the Blue Spirit immediately donned the mask once again. As the steps grew closer, he reached behind him and gripped his swords tight.

He refused to go down a second time.

"Oh, thank Yue it's you!" A somewhat familiar voice exclaimed.

Keeping his form rigid, the Blue Spirit stared at the figure approaching him. Tall, broad shouldered, dark skin, long beard—Iqniq!

The older man bent over, panting heavily. "I've been looking everywhere for you! The tribe is in chaos right now and we could use all the help we can get. Katara has been in a panic all night. Come, she must see you."

Staring at the man's desperate face, the Blue Spirit let up slowly. He considered his words. Katara was most likely out of her mind with worry. She probably thought he was dead. She was probably cornered somewhere dark and cold and only guarded by the three ex-officials. His mind recalled the way Kahn grasped the water bender's hand and his stomach lurched.

He crossed his swords and placed them in their straps. Iqniq took that as a sign of agreement and sighed in relief. He spun around and started marching, glancing back only to gesture for the Blue Spirit to follow.

* * *

Katara crouched above the pool inside the spirit oasis where Yue had died. She watched the water move under her hands' influence, the way it twisted and dipped so fluidly without so much as a flick of her hand. It was so calming, so gentle…and strangely akin to fire.

Sure, when she was fighting fire benders, she always saw the element as reckless and dangerous. After all, it was what killed her mother. But nearing the end of the war, after Zuko joined their team, Katara began to notice the beauty of the flame.

Every night during dinner, before Zuko started making Aang light the campfire for practice, the Fire Lord would supply them with their night light/heat source. Even though she didn't like to admit it, Katara would always sneak a glance at the then-prince and watch as the flames streamed from his fists. There was something so lively about fire. It would crackle and burn with such intensity that it became a necessary part of Katara's night.

Night after night, she would lay on her side, facing the fire. The warmth would bathe her skin during the coolest of Fire Nation nights (yes, they had cold night weather sometimes!). She would stare at the fire until her eyelids grew weary and closed.

She recalled the nights Zuko and Sokka snuck off to free her father from the Boiling Rock prison. During those four days, she trudged about in the mornings with no energy and bags under her eyes. She didn't sleep, period. Aang's campfire always simmered down to a bed of orange coals by the time they got ready for bed. There was nothing comforting like Zuko's fire that could put her to sleep.

If it hadn't been for her estranged father's presence, Katara would have plowed into Zuko with a tight hug and a kiss that would have left him reeling. That night while everyone else slept, the two of them stayed awake just talking.

They spoke of many things that night: her mother, his mother, Zuko's fear of apples, how beautiful fire lilies were, what their favorite flavor of fruit tart was. That was when Katara revealed she'd never actually had a fruit tart and Zuko nearly fell over in shock and the brunette had to remind him that in the Water Tribe they didn't have fruit. By then the fire bender was red with embarrassment and he said he was tired. They wished each a good night and retired to their sleeping bags.

That night, Katara dreamt of Zuko's coronation. She had been standing a few feet away, holding a bouquet of blue lilies and watching proudly as the sage crowned him Fire Lord. Then he spun around and introduced her to the audience. He called her his "savior" and the crowd went wild with applause. It was a strange dream, but Katara could clearly remember the vivid sparkle in his eyes as Zuko addressed her.

The morning after, Aang asked her why she was smiling from ear to ear, more so than usual. Katara simply shrugged and replied, "I had a good dream."

The Avatar had air bent himself high on a rock and crossed his legs, leaning forward eagerly as his inquired, "Oh, what kind of dream?"

"You know what they say, Aang," Katara responded, almost dazed. "If you repeat a good dream out loud, it won't come true."

At that very moment, Zuko passed by. He heard what the water bender said and glanced up at her, saying, "I had a good dream, too."

He'd said it with a smile. It was rare to see him smiling, so Katara drank in the unique expression like she was dying of thirst. The next time he smiled, it was after he helped her located the man that killed her mother. Even though Katara was burning with rage and became violent multiple times, Zuko never left her side. He never wavered, he never expressed fear or mistrust or disapproval. She could have lost herself right then and there and he would have been there to save her.

Weirdly enough, he did. The man's presence left her feeling secure and calm, like the fire during the night. If it hadn't been for Zuko, La knows what she might've done to the pathetic man knelt before her.

Facing the sunset that evening, Katara contemplated telling Zuko how she felt. It wanted to come out, itching at the tip of her tongue, but when he approached her all she could say was "I forgive you". The way his face lit up, she could tell her words had spoken volumes.

Their relationship evolved quickly after that. Late night talks became more frequent, sarcastic jabs became inside jokes, and accidental brushes of the hands weren't so accidental anymore. It was the day she and Zuko took down Azula, the day of Sozin's Comet, where everything changed.

Zuko, who had everything to lose, leapt in front of a bolt of lightning for her, the raggedy Water peasant he actively fought against for a year. He risked the future of his nation for her. When he fell, her heart plummeted into her gut. Her blood rushed through her veins and to her brain as she mentally begged the gods to keep him alive while she fought for both their lives. It was a miracle he survived. Katara knew he should have died. She wasn't a miracle worker, after all. But there was something about how desperate she was, how much she needed him, that must have saved him.

And yet, with all the trouble they went through to be with each other, fate had separated them once again.

Katara's fingers began to shake as tears stung her eyes. They were so close. They could've risked it all and taken it one step further. But according to Zuko, the sages made all the decisions. And Mai was the eligible choice, the better one. It didn't matter what the Fire Lord said in the end, the decision was final and it broke Katara's heart.

Thinking she could freeze her heart back together, the water bender let him back in. But of course, Zuko was a fire bender. Her frozen heart wouldn't last. No matter what he did, Zuko always got to Katara. Always.

Now he was missing and accused of regicide. She didn't want to think if he was guilty or not—Arnuk would have died at someone else's hands. She just wanted to know if he was out there, if he was okay, if he did this for her or in spite of her.

She had to find him. And fast, before someone else got to him.

* * *

"Quickly, this way," Iqniq whispered harshly, guiding the Blue Spirit through the frozen tundra.

The masked man moved carefully, but eagerly as well. He was desperate to see Katara safe. Once he was sure she was alright, he could move on to find whoever actually killed Arnuk and clear both their names.

The two men neared a hill covered in snow. The mouth of the hill was indented, with a rock placed over the opening. Iqniq shoved the rock aside and gestured for the Blue Spirit to follow him.

Inside it was dark and strangely warm compared to the rest of the tribe. The Blue Spirit let his eyes roam the walls. They were covered in Northern Water Tribe flags and other decorations. The deeper the men went, the more concentrated and primitive the decorations became. There were drawings of the crescent moon and squiggly lines (meant to represent water) painted in something black. Deeper still were markings written in an old language he couldn't decipher.

But there was one marking that caught his attention. It was a drawing, actually. Taking up one side of the wall, there was a large drawing of a dark fish with a white diamond on its head. Its head faced up and its mouth was wide open. There were people drawing falling into its mouth. Something dark, but not quite black, dripped from the drawing. A smeared hand print disturbed the drawing at the edges, like someone collapsed against the wall and tried to pull themselves up. Suddenly it clicked.

Blood.

A chill went up the Blue Spirit's spine. He glanced Iqniq again, who stood rigidly to the side. A lantern burning on the other side of the cave gave his face the sort of lighting that made him look inhuman.

"What's wrong?" He questioned flatly.

The Blue Spirit turned a heel and started sprinting frantically. His heart raced wildly as the realizations came to him.

Katara's not here, he told himself. This is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of a cult. He had to get out of here, before they got him and—

His muscles suddenly seized, clenching so tightly that it seared like fire. Something was controlling him, squeezing the very life from his organs. He felt himself being lifted, like being hung from thousands of hooks digging into his flesh. A violent twist of his neck and the mask went flying, revealing his face.

"Where do you think you're going, filthy _pig_?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ooooh, cliff hanger! Did you expect blood bending? I foreshadowed it earlier, and with a lot of references to the moon, it could have been expected. And the prompt "Voyage" was hard for me. It's supposed to be the story of their relationship and how it grow, kind of like a journey. Did you like it? I hope so. Please review!**

 **As promised, I'll give you my "pissed off" playlist. I don't know about you, but listening to these songs makes me calmer, but still kinda mad. It's hard to describe.**

 **1: Think Twice by Eve 6/ 2: Roman's Revenge by Nicki Minaj ft. Eminem/ 3: Bad Blood by Taylor Swift/ 4: Can't Pin Me Down by Marina and the Diamonds/ 5: Mowgli's Road by Marina and the Diamonds/ 6: Make Up Your Mind by Florence and the Machine/ 7: Pity Party by Melanie Martinez/ 8: Don't by Ed Sheeran/ 9: Cry Baby by Melanie Martinez/ 10: Drive by Miley Cyrus/ 11: Novocaine by Fall Out Boy/ 12: Careful by Paramore/ 13: Monster by Paramore/ 14: My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark by Fall Out Boy/ 15: Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy ft. Foxes/ 16: Gangsta by Kat Dahlia**

 **There you have it, a playlist as angry and disorganized as I am!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Zutara Week 2015**

 **July 20-26**

 **Day 6: Integrity**

 **Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are amazing! Quick side note, today's entry is a bit….adult-ish. If you don't like things rated T or M, just follow my warnings throughout the chapter. I'll let you know when it's over. It was inspired somewhat by the song "Training Wheels" by Melanie Martinez. Her album just dropped today and I pre-ordered it so I'm jamming pretty hard right now. Her creativity is really inspiring actually.**

* * *

If his eyes weren't already bulging out of his head, Zuko's would have widened. That voice…. it didn't belong to Iqniq. This was another familiar voice. The one that praised Katara a bit too much in his presence.

The Fire Lord fought the tight grasp over his body to crane his head back. In the corner of his eye, the fire bender could see who his attacker was.

"W-w-why are you d-doing thi-this?" Zuko struggled to ask, his throat crushing underneath the weight of the blood bender's power.

"You fire benders think you can get waltz into our land, not even a decade after you left it to rot, and make our political decisions for us? You, oh son of a fascist Fire Nation pig, think that after all you've done to us and our families, you can just steal away our women?"

He shouldn't have said it, but it came out anyway, "She's f-from the South, an-and s-s-she wouldn't app-appreciate y-you calling her th-tha-that."

The grip became tighter, and Zuko felt his insides ready to burst. He clenched his teeth forcefully to keep from screaming as the pain ripped through him.

The voice continued, "You wouldn't know what she wanted if she slapped you in the face with it."

"I beg to differ," another voice interjected, this time female.

Zuko gasped at the sound and forced his head in the direction of the voice as the grip lightened slightly.

Katara stood there, hair loose and untamed, her eyes wild but sharp. Her glare was not focused on Zuko, thank the stars and the moon, but at his attacker.

"Of all the people I expected to do this, I never expected one to be you," she seethed. "Kahn, put him down immediately."

The blood bender narrowed his eyes at her, saying, "I can't do that, Master Katara. He's the son of the man that killed my son."

Katara shook her head. "Zuko didn't kill Hahn. The sins of his father can't be transferred to him. Now let him go!"

Iqniq and Palo bled out of the shadows. "What the Fire Nation did was unforgivable," Palo rasped, voice dry as the Si Wong Desert. "I lost my whole family during the siege. How dare you dishonor their names by bringing their murderer to trample their graves?"

"I-I-I'm ssorry…" Zuko snarled, the hold on his throat tightening.

Kahn growled, "Liar!" He clenched his fists and slammed the Fire Lord against the wall.

Katara bolted towards Kahn and knocked him over with a surge of water. The blood bender spread his arms and split the wave in half, freezing them into stalactites and firing them in her direction. The woman cartwheeled out of the way, the icicles whizzing past her so fast the air itself cut into her skin.

Curling her arms, the master water bender formed a water spout and shot projectiles into the man. Kahn ducked a few times, trying to dodge as best as he could, but Katara was too fast, too strong. A powerful gush slammed him in the face and pushed him off his feet. He landed on his back, hitting his head against the wall. He was out.

Before Katara could celebrate her victory, Palo and Iqniq raced in like a typhoon, flooding her with shot after shot. She raged through their attacks, reciprocating every icicle and doubling each wave before heaving it back at them. She took the betrayal, the anger, and threw it back in their faces.

"I can't believe I trusted you!" She screamed at them.

Iqniq caught her leg in a tentacle, yelling, "That's your fault!"

He pulled the ground out from under her, so to speak. Katara fell onto her back with a grunt and screamed wordlessly. A spike shot out of her foot and buried itself into the wall next to the man's head.

Startled, Iqniq let go of Katara's leg for a moment, but that was all the brunette needed. She flipped back onto her feet and flung an ice pillar into him. It knocked him back into Palo. The two water benders flew back several feet, the pillar crushing them.

Katara didn't take a moment to admire her work. She immediately rushed to Zuko, who was leaning against the wall and grasping his right arm and wincing. "Come on, let's get out of here!" She urged, letting him lean against her while they hurried out of the cave.

Staying out of people's sight was easier said than done as they raced from building to building. There were criminals and soldiers everywhere. It seemed they were all looking for the treacherous tribeswoman and the Fire rat.

Eventually, the two found shelter in a dark, cramped closet shed jutting out of a warehouse. It was abandoned, as far as Katara could tell. There were no tools, no furniture, no light source—just a dirty floor and streaked, dusty walls. The water bender helped the Fire Lord to the floor, his back pressed up against the wall. He grunted in pain.

"Let me see," the water bender commanded more than requested, pushing his other hand out of the way.

Jutting out of his bicep was a stalactite. Blood streamed from the wound like a waterfall. Zuko looked embarrassed, to say the least. Grunting painfully, he muttered, "It's nothing."

Katara pouted, "It's _something_. Let me pull it out. Bite down on this."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out an old handkerchief, stuffing it into his mouth. She wrapped one hand around the icicle and pressed the other into the skin around the wound. She counted to three and yanked the offending object out. Zuko yelped. Katara apologized and instantaneously began the healing process before more blood could gush out.

While his broken skin stitched itself together under the cooling, relieving sensation of the healer's water, Zuko glanced up at Katara. "How did you know I was here?" He asked.

The water bender shifted so she was sitting on her heels. "I saw you following Iqniq—well, I saw the Blue Spirit following him."

Zuko flushed like it was some big secret. "I'm sorry," he said. "If I just did what you asked, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Sighing, Katara responded, "Please, don't."

Fatigue weighed the Fire Lord's body down, but he had enough strength to clutch Katara's hands in his. The water bender gasped as the water splashed onto the ground.

"Zuko…" She murmured.

Amber eyes stared into hers tiredly. "Katara, everything I did, I did it for you. You have no idea how sorry I am for what happened," the fire bender stated. "I just…want you to be happy."

The water bender felt a lump rising in her throat, so she didn't speak. Instead, she let Zuko's hands trail up her arms, her shoulders, stopping to cup her face. Katara shivered at how warm his leather gloves felt against her cold face. Oh, she missed that stark contrast!

 ****Warning! NSFW content abound! Skip ahead!****

He pulled her closer to him and pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. Katara gasped at the sweetness, the innocence of the action. He tasted the way he smelled, and it was so enticing that Katara craved for more.

The water bender wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her chest against his as she deepened the kiss. Zuko eagerly agreed to this movement and cupped Katara's hips, lifting her up and into his lap. She trailed her hands up and down his chest, enjoying the feel of his hard, sculpted muscle under her fingertips.

That very action made the fire bender shiver. He brought up a hand to stroke her cheek, and used to other to rub her lower back. If he learned one thing about women, it was that they liked to be caressed. Well, like was one word for it. Katara blossomed under his touch. His kisses melted her frozen lips, nipping, sucking and licking in all the right places.

They took turns playing with each other's mouths, tasting each other, drinking in the sheer pleasure of the kiss. Katara became more eager, bolder, and grasped his hands in hers. She pushed them up against her breasts. Hard.

Zuko broke the kiss, staring at their hands, before up at her. Was Katara really asking him to do this? Were they really moving to the next level?

Katara's magnificently blue eyes, which used to be so cold, were so inviting as she gazed at him. The answer was yes.

"Please," Katara breathed, her lips parted ever so slightly.

It was so soft, so gentle, and it drove the Fire Lord wild. He captured her lips in another searing hot kiss, his tongue tracing hers like a game. His burning hands cupped her breasts and squeezed.

The water bender gasped into the kiss and strengthened her grasp on his hands. She wanted to feel what he felt.

Zuko massaged her breasts, reveling in the sounds coming from the back of her throat. Mainly because, earlier he thought he could never make her happy, and now she was at his mercy. Her body language begged for more. She straddled his hips, lifting her dress so she could sit comfortably. Even with her dress in the way, Katara could feel the hard lump pressing against her so tantalizingly.

A gruff moan escaped the Fire Lord's throat. Heat pooled into his lower belly and his stomach was bursting with butterflies. His hands left Katara's breasts despite the tiny whine she let out. He discarded the leather gloves and brought his hands to her hips, bunching the dress up so the only thing between her flesh and his hands were the leggings she wore. He traced circles into her hip bones using his thumbs.

Katara impatiently groaned, lips greedily taking in Zuko's. He was being such a tease, it was killing her! The ache in her gut was reaching down further, threatening to consume her whole.

On a whim, the brunette began to roll her hips back and forth, grinding firmly against Zuko's hips.

The fire bender felt lightning pass through his crotch and let a high-pitched moan. Biting his lip, he reciprocated the sensation by working his muscles, rubbing against Katara's soft skin. When she arched her back and cried out, Zuko knew he was doing the right thing.

To make it better, he dug his nails into her thighs and raked them downwards. Katara shuddered and broke the kiss.

 ****NSFW content over! Continue reading here!****

"What are we doing?" She rasped, her voice hoarse from arousal.

Zuko froze. "I…" He started, trailing off. Oh, Agni, did he do something wrong?

Katara stroked his cheeks, almost longingly. "We can't do this…we can't be selfish," she murmured.

The fire bender cussed, "Dammit, Katara, she's gone, I'm not engaged anymo-"

Pressing a finger to his lips, the brunette interjected, "I'm not talking about that. I don't care about that. Zuko…we're being hunted out there. And we have no idea where your uncle is. If we don't clean this mess now it's only going to get worse."

Mulling it over, Zuko leaned in to kiss Katara's hand. It was selfish of him to seduce her like this while there were brutes out there who called for her head. He needed to get her out of this place, somewhere she'd be safe and sound and happy. Somewhere the accusations of regicide couldn't touch her. He didn't know who killed Arnuk, but he would take the blame for it as long as it meant saving Katara's life.

* * *

Heavy combat boots slushed through the snow as they approached a plume of smoke rising behind a building. Rounding a corner, Arnuk's soldiers stumbled upon a heavy set, elderly man dressed in green robes. He was sitting on the ground in front of a small fire. A teapot sat on the flames.

The elderly man looked up, with a pleasant smile on his face. "Good afternoon! Would you like some tea? It's jasmine!"

A lowly soldier standing in the front grinned smugly and declared, "I told you I could smell a rat from miles away."

Iroh clicked his tongue, reprimanding, "Young man, that is no way to speak of your commander."

The leader of the group clenched his jaw as a few laughs rippled through his army. "Where's the Fire Lord, old man?" He growled, taking an intimidating step closer.

Shrugging, Iroh poured himself a steaming cup of tea. "I'm afraid I do not know," he answered honestly. "I have not seen him in days. I do hope he's keeping warm though."

In two strides, the soldier had lifted Iroh by the scruff. "Keep talking like that, old man, and see where it leads you."

Trying to hide his cough, Iroh replied, "I've always been a fan of the saying, 'take the road less traveled'."

The leader, who was more annoyed than angry, shouted, "Where. Is. The. Fire. Lord!"

Iroh pouted and stared longingly at the ground, where his tea spilt. "Such a waste!" He sighed.

Screaming wordlessly, the soldier formed an icicle in his hand and held it up to the fire bender's face. "Tell me where the rat is or I'll put a hole in your brain!"

"Sir, it's just an act! The Fire Lord and Master Katara are probably long gone by now! We're wasting our time here!" One soldier yelled.

The leader thought this over and tossed Iroh to the ground in disgust. "Poor, fat pig. Your nephew left you here to save his own ass," he taunted meanly. "What kind of a man leaves his uncle to die in the cold?"

Lifting himself to his feet, the retired general brushed off his robes. "I'll have you know that my nephew is a man of honor and integrity," he chided.

"We'll see about that," the soldier responded, turning a heel. "I'll be sure to come back for you once I'm done with him."

He continued marching away, calling out, "Come on, men!"

"Uh, sir?"

The soldier groaned in frustration. He spun around, spitting, "What?!"

His army was encased in ice from their necks down to their feet. Master Katara stood behind them, her fingers suspended in the air. A proud smirk was plastered on her face.

"Surrender or I crush your soldiers," the brunette warned. She scrunched her fingers closed in demonstration. The men cried out as the ice tightened around their bodies.

The leader gritted his teeth and growled, "That's right, betray your sister tribe for a piece of cock you filthy whore!"

Footsteps sounded behind him and the soldier spun around to find the Fire Lord sliding into view. His fingers were sparking intensely. "Commander, are you even aware of who you're speaking to?"

Katara snorted, "I don't think so. Otherwise he wouldn't be digging his own grave right now."

The soldier chuckled darkly. "Look who's talking…you could kill me and my whole army, but you can't escape the wrath of the tribe. The spirits themselves are looking for blood."

Zuko's mind briefly recalled the bloody painting of La in the cave and wondered what it meant.

"You're bluffing," the master water bender accused. "You're just talking like that because you know you're cornered."

"Like I said, I may be cornered, but I'm not going to surrender. Go ahead, slaughter my army," he responded coolly.

Zuko narrowed his eyes, feeling the lightning bursting at his fingers.

Katara glanced at him, her fists trembling. She wanted to do it, she really did. She could feel each of their individual heart beats racing in the palms of her hand. All she had to do was squeeze, but the more she looked at the leader, the more she realized that it wouldn't do any good.

"Zuko," she said. "Take Iroh and get out of here."

The Fire Lord gasped, "What? No! I'm not leaving you here!"

The soldier smirked.

Katara's eyes burned as she let her arms fall to her sides. "The note left at the scene was mine."

"What are you saying?" The soldier asked, a grin forming on his face.

Sapphire eyes locked onto amber ones. "I killed Chief Arnuk," the water bender confessed.

Zuko's heart dropped into his stomach as he shouted, "No!"

He started racing towards her; he wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he was going to get her out. He knew she didn't do it, she couldn't have. She couldn't even kill these soldiers without her guilty conscience getting to her.

It all happened in slow motion. As Zuko darted towards Katara, he saw the lead soldier bend a stream of water around him, like a belt, and shoot a loosely aimed water ball at her. While she was preoccupied for that split second, the soldier twisted around and blasted his intended shot into the fire bender.

The Fire Lord was swept away by the water, only to be suspended in the air in a ball of water. His cheeks puffed out as he tried to hold his breath, but the pressure was crushing his chest like a komodo rhino.

Katara screamed his name and moved to free him, when she was grabbed by an invisible hand. It held her by the throat and choked her. A second hand forced her arms behind her back. Her knees buckled and fell to the ground.

The master water bender wheezed as blood started bubbling up to her mouth. She coughed out the red substance.

It was turning black everywhere. Spots coated her vision. Her body was so taut she couldn't breathe. Zuko's body hitting the ground was the last thing she saw before she blacked out.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey, look, another cliff hanger! And how was that make-out scene? They say the only way to know for sure if you've written a good NSFW scene is if you yourself got aroused. I'm gonna keep that to myself but I hope you liked it. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Zutara Week 2015**

 **July 20-26**

 **Day 7: Maelstrom**

 **Author's Note: Last prompt! Wooh! Thank you to everyone who read this fic and reviewed! You guys helped me get through all my troubles. Thanks a bunch! I'm listening to "Spectrum" by Florence and the Machine! Give it a listen sometime!**

* * *

 _"Mama, it's the Blue Spirit! He's gonna protect us from the soldiers!"_

 _"Bless you, spirit. Thank you for saving my granddaughter."_

 _"Are you really a spirit? That's amazing! I'll be sure to pray to you tonight!"_

Zuko's mind was muggy with recollections of his night out as his alter persona. He cut down a few guards so they wouldn't see the brightly burning lanterns he'd given to the families living nearby. He liked seeing the toothless smiles on the babies being swaddled by their shivering mothers, whose tired eyes radiated with gratitude.

There were a few people who likened him to Katara, who had also supplied families across the tribes with dried fire wood, spark rocks, and coals, as well as free healings. They called her an angel, a goddess, a gift from the universe.

Katara had done so much for the world since she was a girl. It was in her nature to be loving and selfless. But Zuko? Zuko was a storm of mixed emotions. He did good things to get something in return. He turned away people that tried to help him.

Zuko didn't deserve love. He didn't deserve Katara.

How could he let her admit that she killed Arnuk? She had been in prison when it happened, according the soldiers that attacked them. She had an air-tight alibi. If anyone was guilty, it had to be him. He was the domino that knocked over the rest, leading into a catalyst of violent and dangerous situations. Katara was the blue domino at the end, waiting to be overturned.

It wasn't going to happen. The Fire Lord would fight till his last breath before they took her away.

Katara collapsed suddenly during battle while Zuko watched in horror as blood dripped from her lips. Had she been struck? It wasn't clear, but he had to get her out of there before she paid for a crime she didn't commit.

He just hoped she'd still be alive by the time he got to her.

* * *

Millions of colors exploded behind Katara's eyelids as she started to come to. Blinking, she let her eyes roam over her surroundings.

She was naked, suspended by the waist in a flat stream of purple, swirly water that shined with the entire cosmos. It seemed to split her in two. She could see her legs as though peering through a window. All around her is was black and empty, a void. Puzzled, and downright scared, Katara called out, "Is there anyone here? Help!"

A tiny white speck appeared in the distance, glowing brightly. The master water bender squinted at the speck, watching as it grew larger as it came closer. It was an iridescent orb now, floating closer to Katara's head.

A soft hum rang in her ears as she studied the orb. She could feel the light energy swirling around it, becoming entranced with the way it moved. It was somewhat familiar.

The orb faded around a female figure. Her face was shining like the stars and her beautiful white hair shimmered with the intensity of a lunar solstices. The frills of her dress rippled with endless chi. Her expression was calm, the visage of an ancient, all-wise, kind deity.

"Yue…?" Katara whispered, still in complete awe.

The goddess of the moon smiled excitedly at the water bender, like a girl who hadn't seen her friend in years. "Hello, Katara," she greeted, her voice smoother than water. "It's good to see you again."

Tears jerked at the brunette's eyes. "It's been years," she breathed, a lump forming in her throat.

Giggling, Yue replied, "Not really. You're a water bender, remember? I'm always with you."

Katara laughed despite the tears streaming down her face. She still couldn't believe she was seeing her dead friend-turned-goddess after six years. Of course, she always thought of Yue when she saw the moon, whether it was full or just a thin sliver in the sky. But this was different—she was here, in front of her, speaking to _her._

"I guess I forgot about that, huh?" She said.

"I've seen what happened in my tribe," the moon deity said, expression suddenly forlorn. "My father should have moved on. I had such high hopes for him, for my people. This is awful."

The water bender sighed guiltily. Even after death, Yue still held her former birthplace close to her heart. She was still full of love, even for her father, who in the end lost his heart to hatred and despair.

"Yue, I tried…I really did, but things got complicated….." Katara sputtered. "I wish I could change what happened. I really do."

Yue studied the brunette's face and leaned in close. "You're hurting," she observed. "It's in your eyes."

Nodding, Katara looked down at the purple water, "I messed up. Bad. I hurt Zuko, and your tribe. I just want to make things right."

"I see," the moon goddess replied. She raised her arms to her head and pressed her fingers and thumbs together, leaving a gap shaped like a diamond in the center of her forehead. A black diamond appeared there, shining brightly. It dazzled Katara to the point where she was crying again, out of sheer awe.

There was a massive splash behind the water bender. Something with a long black tail thrashed and flayed inside the water. Katara stared at it long and hard, realizing that it was in fact the beast that ate Zuko. And the white marking on its head that matched Yue's proved her initial deductions right.

It was La, god of the ocean.

He thrashed viciously inside the water, but he wasn't making any progress. Katara could see he wanted to be free, to move on, but it was caught in an invisible web. He was trapped.

The master water bender glanced up at Yue, exclaiming, "He needs help!"

Yue looked saddened, saying, "He does. But I cannot help him. He needs someone who understands what he's going through, someone who still feels human emotion in its most organic form. You have to help him, Katara."

"But how?" The brunette questioned, utterly lost. How could she help such a mighty being? She didn't know the first thing about spiritual affairs. Why couldn't the Avatar do it?

With a soft sigh, glittering tear drop fell from Yue's eyelash and dropped into the vast purple stream around Katara. It rippled for what seemed like ages, until the ripples reached the brunette's skin. They washed over her like new knowledge, like inspiration. Katara closed her eyes and reveled in it.

When it was over, the water bender blinked a few times and looked up at the moon goddess, who'd folded her hands together and watched her patiently.

"I know what I have to do," Katara told her.

Yue raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then what are you waiting for?"

Understanding, the master water bender turned and sliced one arm through the water, the other arm following suit. She swam rapidly towards La, her toned arms and legs carrying her as fast as she could go. It was strange, if not frightening, that whenever Katara ducked her head into the purple water to gain speed, she would catch a glimpse of the universe as viewed by the gods. She saw the world moving at the speed of light, she saw the very essence of emotion, what it was like to laugh or cry or smile. It was raw. It was powerful.

She even thought to herself, _"This must be what it's like to have an orgasm."_

As she neared La, Katara mustered up a game plan in her mind. She started for him, bringing up a hand to touch his scales, when he slammed his tail into her and nearly knocked her out of the water.

Other spirits, coming in different shapes and sizes, came swarming towards them. The water bender could sense the dark energy approaching and realized they were trying to avenge her. She put her hands up and shouted, "Don't hurt him! He's just in pain! Please, don't hurt him!"

Thankfully, they listened. The spirits faded into the void, leaving the water bender alone with La.

The ocean spirit continued to thrash violently, desperate to get out. Katara watched him in pity and swam forward, this time more cautious. When she was close enough, she traced his scales gently, letting go of the weight she'd been carrying as she did it. At first, La was alarmed by her touch and writhed angrily in response. However, as Katara continued, his fury diminished.

His taut muscles relaxed under the gentle caress of her fingers. The master water bender made her way up his body and towards his enormous head.

She knew exactly what she had to do.

With a flick of her wrist, Katara water bent herself up in a small spout. She was pleased to find that this water was much easier to bend than regular earth water.

Using the spout, Katara found herself touching the crown of his head, hand in the center of the white diamond. There was a tumultuous, chaotic source of energy there, and it was so deeply rooted and painful. This was the pain Katara felt when she remembered Yon Rha and her mother. This was the pain she felt when she thought of Zuko. It reminded her _of_ Zuko. This was the pain she had to let go of.

Inhaling deeply, the master water bender allowed the energy to flow out of her and out of La. It felt like rain drizzling gently from the sky, before the thunder started rolling and the lightning crashed which led to the downpour.

Light glistened from La's body and he went limp under her touch. Katara would have been very afraid if not for the fact that Yue appeared next to him. The water bender watched as the moon goddess revived her mate, using bright lunar energy to bend the waves around him. It swayed the beast's form back and forth until two black, beady eyes opened up and focused on Katara.

Without warning, La dove into the water and swam downwards until the brunette couldn't see him. In seconds, the god of the moon shattered through the surface of the water behind Katara, his tail snapping back and forth as he leapt through the air. He did this several more times, swimming away with joy exuding from his presence.

Yue smiled wide, her pearly white teeth even whiter against the stark black of the universe. "He says thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," Katara replied, still very star struck.

The purple water rose like a high tide, submerging the brunette completely. She puffed her cheeks out, thinking she couldn't breathe, but soon realized she was inhaling it just fine. The water bender raised her head to find moonlight breaching the surface of the water.

"Now you've got your answer," the goddess told her. "Can you make things right?"

Katara realized she was being heaved out of the water by invisible hands before she could reply. She was swept through space and time rapidly. It made her so dizzy she clenched her eyes shut and tried to shush her upset stomach.

When she opened her eyes again, she was laying in the snow. Her brain was fuzzy with pain. Something wet coated her face. She reached up to touch it, and her hand came back warm and red. Her eyes widened.

A scream echoed through the freezing air and Katara shot straight up, recognizing the voice as Zuko's. She looked up and found the soldiers raging against Zuko, each taking turns whipping him as the Fire Lord tried to keep up.

For a moment, Katara was entranced by the steam that filled the air when the fire and water collided. But then Zuko shouted and she was on her feet, racing to him with her muscles seizing every particle of ice in the vicinity. The soldiers didn't see her coming.

She had the entire army swept up in a blizzard. She suspended them in the air like puppets, moving her arms in a way that swirled the men around in a flurry. Katara reveled in the sounds of their screams as she played with them like dolls.

"Katara!" Zuko yelled, grasping his abdomen.

The water bender heard him and dropped her opponents without a second thought. They landed in the snow with a hard thump.

Katara ran to Zuko and threw her arms around him and squeezed like she hadn't seen him in years. "Are you hurt?" She asked sincerely, genuinely.

His amber eyes glistened with tears as he gazed at her face. He grazed a thumb across her lower lip, wiping away some of the blood. "It doesn't matter," he murmured.

"Of course it does," the brunette responded. She leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "You matter a lot to me."

Blushing, Zuko tried and failed to hide his smile. Katara found herself smiling, too. They would have remained like that, arms tangled together and eyes locked, if Iroh hadn't called out to them.

"Nephew! Master Katara! Follow me, quickly before they come to!"

The three of them fled the scene as fast as their legs could carry them, arm in arm, towards the palace.

Zuko saw their destination from the distance and exclaimed, "Why are we going back there?"

Katara stopped running and glanced at him, panting hard. "We're clearing your name," she said, pulling out the letter from her pocket.

The Fire Lord eyed it suspiciously. "I never gave that back to you," he observed.

Nodding, the water bender responded, "It was found on Arnuk's body. It wasn't you, though. I know that now. In fact, I know exactly who it was."

"Who?"

Katara replied, "Who else? Kahn was angry with you because of the death of his son. But who promised his son to Yue? Arnuk, of course. If Hahn wasn't engaged to Yue he never would have had to protect her."

Zuko vaguely recalled a young man foolishly run on deck of his ship, only to be thrown overboard by Zhao. "He brought it on himself," he said.

When Katara put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him, he shrugged. Hey, he was being honest!

"But how are you sure it was Kahn?" Iroh questioned, folding his arms in his tunic.

The sun was setting at that moment, and the moon was just starting to fade into the backdrop of the dark sky. A ray of moonlight focused on Katara and the water bender smiled knowingly, waving amicably at the celestial body. The moonlight seemed to flicker in response.

Zuko grinned in amazement and swept the brunette up in a hug, twirling her around. "So _that's_ where you went!" He exclaimed.

Katara squealed, giggling, "She says 'hi', by the way!"

Iroh bowed towards the moon and said, "Many thanks to the honorable moon goddess for protecting this remarkable young woman."

It seemed for a moment they were all lost in the influence of the lunar deity, because neither of them noticed the crowd gathering around them until someone shouted, "It's Master Katara!"

The couple froze, staring in fear and shock at the audience. Everyone was there, every citizen in the tribe it seemed. Everyone held a brightly lit lantern or torch and a very serious expression.

Zuko put an arm in front of Katara and rested the other on the handles of his swords. He knew he wouldn't be able to take them all, not at once, but he could distract them long enough to let Katara and Iroh get out, "Before you do anything, remember what this woman did for all of you," he warned.

"We know exactly what she did!" One man yelled.

The master water bender crumpled the letter in her hand subtly, hiding it in her parka. She would make it easier form Zuko and Iroh to escape.

The man continued, "She saved us!"

Zuko and Katara's jaws dropped to the ground as they exchanged bewildered glances. The crowd exploded into applause and cheering, calling Katara "their savior".

A little girl rushed up to the brunette and nearly knocked her over as she wrapped her arms around her hips. "Thank you for thaving my famiwy, Mathter Katara!"

"You're very welcome!" Katara replied, blinking away tears.

"South Pole! South Pole! South Pole!" The audience chanted, separating down the middle to allow her passage.

The little girl grabbed Katara's hand and began yanking her forward. Before she was completely dragged away, the water bender reached for Zuko's hand and laughed when he gave her a puzzled look.

"They're not angry?" He asked, raising his voice above the noise.

"Does it sound like they are?" Katara replied, laughing. "They were suffering under Arnuk! They're free now! That's something to celebrate!"

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "So….?"

Shrugging, the water bender said, "The Northern Water Tribe is a strong community, they'll survive!"

Frowning, the Fire Lord asked, "And the new chief?"

Katara squeezed his hand and replied, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there!"

The crowd carried them away like a pair of gods, throwing rice at their feet and cheering their names with the intent of celebrating for the rest of the night.

Iroh was left standing in the snow, with his arms folded cozily in the sleeves of his green tunic. A gentle smile spread across his face as a moonbeam bathed his skin.

"He rises with the sun, she rises with the moon," he spoke, intentionally aloud. "You planned this, didn't you?"

The lunar gleam flickered and the general retorted, "Of course I wanted this! I brought Zuko here, didn't I?"

Moonlight shined against one of his eyes and he shielded his eyes, exclaiming, "Alright, I am sorry! My goodness, you deities really get cranky! Sometimes I wonder if you know what you're doing up there!"

The sun set completely and the moon's full face was shining. The single beam of lunar light started following Iroh as he waddled away, towards to where the tribe marched off. "Wait for me!" He shouted.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Oh my god, I love Iroh. So, what did you think? Was it everything you wanted? I know not everything was resolved, but if I write anymore, I'm afraid my fingers will fall off. Let's just say Katara and Zuko do clear their names and find Kahn, Iqniq and Palo trying to flee the tribe, wherein they get their treasonous asses kicked. Then a new chief is elected and Zuko and Katara get married and have beautiful steam babies and everyone is happy! Happy (late) Zutara week and see you next year!**


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